Steering mechanism



March l0, 1925.

C5. VV.f5hdVTF STEERING MECHANI SM Fired' Nov. 2s", 192s 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 March l0, l1925.

G. W. SMITH STEERING MECHANISM F''l'ed Nov. 26,l 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. w. SMITH STEERING MEcHANIsM 'March 1o, 1925. 1,529,146

Fied Nov. 26, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. l0, 1925.

UNITED s'rnrss GEORGE W. SMITH,

PATENT OFFICE j or DALLAS, TEXAS.

STEERING MECHANISM. n

Application filed November 26, 1923.` jSeral No. 677,089.

' the steering of four-wheel drive motor vehicles.

The object of the invention is to provide a mechanism, whereby the motivepower of the vehicle may be employed in steering the same, thus reducing the labor and making for more efficient control.

A particular object is to provide a. prime mover constantly driven by the power' plant, together' with a hand operated medium4 for effecting a coupling between the prime mover and the steering gear, when it is desired to turn the front wheels.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

lThe invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary View of the front end of a motor vehicle equipped with a steering gear constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged'sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, 1

Fig. 5 is a. detailed view of one of the shifting `ioints,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2, i

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the front steering rods, and

Fig. 8 is a detail ofa chain drive for the tumbling shaft. p

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates the frame of a motor vehicle having hangers 11 at each side of its front end. A transverse tumbling shaft 12 is journalled in the hangers and extends under the frame. The shaft has a bevel pinion 13 fastened on its central portion and is driven by a bevel shaft '15V extending from a worm` box 16v from which it receives its rotation, saidy shaft being supported bya hanger` 15 (Fig. 6i). The box is connected with a drive shaft 17 anda cross-shaft 18, driven by the shaft 17, extends under the box. The: cross shaft has bevel pinions 19 on its ends and extends through a housing 18ffsuitably suspended from the frame. v

' The pinions y19 drive double face` bevel gears 2O, mounted loosely on the spindle -pins 21 of the steering knuckles. 'lhe pinions drivebevel gears 22 fastened `to the inner, sides of the front wheelsf23. Itis to be understoodr that .the front wheels may be driven in anysuitable manner. `The tumbling shaft may alsobe driven in any Gear 14, fast on the front end of a countersuitable manner vand as a Vfurther illustraf tion in Fig. F8, l have sho-wn ythe shaft equipped with a sprocket wheel 24 at one end driven by achain 25 passing around a sprocket wheel 2G mountedl on ythe cross-y shaft 18. This mechanism.v may. be duplicated at the other end of the shaft 12. When this form is employedthe parts 13, 14 and 15 are not required.

A platform y27 is moulnted across. the frame and has an upstpanding collar 28 at its/center.A A vertical steering post 29 eX- tends through the collariand has a flange 30 resting on the lcollar,'wvherebyv the-post 3 is supported. A handle lever 31 extends rearwardly from thefupper'end` of the post.`

Un the lower-'end of the postfis fastened ayoke 32 which is swung when the post is turned by the handlelever. Shifting rods 33 have "their ends carried. by hangers y34 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) vswiveled at their upper ends to the platform. These rods extend on eachl side of the shaft 15 parallel to theA tumbling sha-ft 12. f "he shaft 12 has right and left hand threads on opposite sides of;

the pinion 13.

The shifting rods frin guidesl forlvclutch blocks'35, each threadedto engage one side of the shaft 12.' These blocks arefconnected to a cross bar 36 by upright arms 37. having lugs 39 at' their upper ends engaging in loops 38 on the blocks. y 'A Aleg 40 F(Fig.r4) depends from the cross bar 36 and is .made

fast to the bridle rod 41 which is connected to the steering arms 42 of the 'spindles of the front wheels. Thus when the cross/bar a crank 44 0n its lower end pivoted to a. connecting rod 45 attached to the rod 41y (Fig. 7 p

The blocks are alternately shifted into y engagement with the shaft l2 and for this purpose bell-crank levers '4d pivoted on brackets 47 are employed. These levers are pivoted' to the hangers at the ends of the rods 373, each pair being connected by a pitli'narr-48. 'lhe central leve-rs46 have their inner ends provided with slots- 49 for receiving'the pivotal connection with the yoke 32 (Fig. 5'), whereby the yoke lmay be shifted to either side and. only swing the levers 46 on kthe sideto which it is shifted, whereby the rod 33 on that side'will be `shifted -and the bloclr 35 associated therewith will beclutche'dwith the shaftlQ.

, In operation the parts are normally positionedas is shown in the drawings. lf it should be desired tog turn to the left the lever 3l is swung to they left. rEhe' tumbling shaft 12de. kept in motion by the power plant ofthe vehicle. The handle lever 31 swings the yoleBQ. by rotating the post 29'. Ehe 4right hand yend of the yoke by reason offthe'slot 49k l(Fig. 5) does not operate the levers 46 onf that side, but the left rhand end swings .the levers 46' onl-the left handk side'.

vWhen the levers 46 are swung the. left hand shifting.. rod 33 is swung toward the tumy wheels 23iare turned tosteertle vehicle to` 'bling shaft '12` and the left hand clutch block is-engag-.ed with theleft hand, threads of the shaftlZ. Theshaft l2. being. in mio,` tion, `the block will be impelled by` the threads and caused tov slide on the rodY 33 towardgthe left handiside' of the frame..

n When the bloclrl is slid it moves kthe cross-v bar 36 which throughl the; leg 40 shifts the. rodi 4l to the left. rEhe rodv 41 swings the` arms` 42 of. the spindles, whereby the front-r wafrd the left By swinging the handle lever 3l to. a centrall or nentra-l position, the. the, b-locklf. is disengaged from thetumbling shaft. the right the operation. is reversed and'l the.

front lwheels would. be brought to, a centr-alV position by operation` ofthe rig-,htl hand If` the.

block 35 and its shifting.: means.

Q clutched engagement of the right handblock` isn'iaintained after the wheelsl are straight'- ened. orif the leven` i's swung toz the right with 'the vwheel-s straighlay saidA wheels will .be swung to the right as is obvious.4

.Various changes .in the arrlangementand structure of thediferent elements aswell; as

modifications and alterations, may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim, is: l

l.y In a` steering mechanism` for fourr`` wheel drive motor vehicles, the combination with a frame,- the front; wheels,l and ythe Whenfthe lever 3l is swung to.

ing `means to engage the clutch members f with the shaft. y

2. lin a steering, mechanism for fourwheel drive motor vehicles, thecombination with aframe, the front wheels, and the power plant, of a front wheel driving means,

'of an oppositcly threaded tumbling. shaft mounted on the frame and driven constantly by lsaid driving means, steeringy elements connected with the front wheels, an oper-l ating member connected with the steering elements,- pair of shifting rods, clntch blocks slidable ony said rods and adapted to engage said shaft, said blocks being connected with said operating element, and hand operated Imeans connectedl with said rods for shifting the same to clutch the blocks with the shaft. l

'3. a steering mechanism for four-wheel drive motor vehicles, they combination with a frame, the front` wheels, and the 4power plant, of a front wheel driving means, of

an. oppositely threaded tumbling shaft lili) mounted on the frame and driven constantly by said; driving means, steering elements connected; with the front wheels, an operating; member connectedwith the rsteering elements, a pair of. `shifting rods, clutch blocks. slidable on said rods and adapted jv to engage said shaft, said blocks being con- 'nectedg with said operating element, bell` crank levers connected in pairs and connected with, the shifting rods for alternately shifting the same, a yoke connected .with saidj levers, and a hand lever connected with said yolre for swinging the same.

4. In a steering mechanism for four-wheel drive motor vehicles, the combination of-a tumbling shaft having oppositek screwV threads, means for constantly' driving 'said shaft, shifting rods, clutch blocks slidable on the rods and` adapted to engage the threads. of the sha-ft, bell -crank lever-s connected with the blocks, al cross bar for connection with the steering' rod of a motor vehicle connected to .the bloclrs, va yolrc pivoted between` adjacent bell-crank levers` and having loose connection therewith, whereby said yoke may be swung toene side without operating the lever.' on theother side, ,a postconnected to the yoke, and a` handle lever connected with the post.

In testimony whereof I aifixmy signature.

croacia w. SMITH. 

